Ideas of Innocence
by Aseku
Summary: Talpa spoke quietly. "Let me tell you a story, Torrent. I have tried to conquer the Mortal Realm many times. Every time I have failed NOT because of the Ronins, but because of The Innocent." Cye x OC. NOT intended as a mere love story. R&R pretty please?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Ronin Warriors or anything relating to them. I do, however, own my original characters. Use them without my permission and face my wrath.

Author's Note: This is kind of an odd story, and it's probably overdone. One of the characters may seem a bit like a Mary-Sue, but I'm trying my very hardest to keep this character's personality unchanged without turning this character into a Mary Sue.

New Warriors Appear

Rowen sighed, glancing behind surreptitiously behind him, then raking a hand nervously through his blue hair.

"Ryo…" he said, turning to the young man next to him, "They're back again…"

"I know." replied the black-haired warrior. "They've been following us for two days now. I don't know what to do about them…"

"So who d'you think they are?" The warrior of the Strata glanced behind them again, but the three figures that were following them seemed untroubled and made no attempt to conceal themselves. Ryo shrugged, tossing his long, ebony locks over his shoulder.

"Well it's obvious that they're Ronin Warriors. The problem is, I don't know if they're on our side or Talpa's…" He stopped suddenly and turned around, crossing his arms across his chest and frowning at the three fully armored warriors behind them. As if to mock him, the warrior who seemed to be the leader of the small group folded his own arms and cocked his hips to one side tauntingly. "Hmph!" snorted Ryo, tossing his hair behind him angrily. "Cocky little punk! I bet they ARE working for Talpa!"

"Now Ryo…" said Rowen, reasonably, "they haven't tried to hurt us yet…" Wildfire snorted again and started walking once more.

"Yeah, well I'm just saying Talpa's definitely into the trapping thing, and this might be his latest ploy." Rowen opened his mouth to reply, but instead merely stared off into the distance for a moment, squinting. Slowly, a horrified expression stole over his features.

"Ryo! Look!" Ryo followed his friend's horrified gaze and saw a large force of Dynasty soldiers coming up fast.

"Whoa! Let's armor up!" And, slightly frantic, the two men donned their colorful armor and turned to face the onslaught.

About twenty minutes into the battle, Ryo and Rowen were weakening, and the soldiers showed no signs of stopping.

"I don't…" panted Ryo, "I don't know if we can hold 'em, Ro…" Sweat was pouring from his helmet, making his tanned face glisten with the flash of his bloody sword.

"I… know." replied the archer, a lock of his blue hair plastered to his forehead. Sweat made it almost black. "I'm exhausted, man… I don't know how much longer I'm gonna last."

Then, without warning, an icy blast flew by Ryo's cheek and several of the Dynasty soldiers fell, impaled by large icicles. The soldiers around them scattered, fleeing back towards Talpa's fortress. Ryo's head snapped around and he caught sight of the three warriors who had been following them for so long.

"Who are you?" he demanded, "Why are you helping us?"

One of the warriors, the tallest one in the black and orange armor that seemed to be the fiercest, turned to him.

"That's not important right now. We've got to get you two out of here." Ryo glanced around, confused, as the three mysterious Ronins formed a triangle around him and the now-unconscious Rowen. Wait… Rowen was unconscious?!

"ROWEN!" he screamed, "Rowen, wake up!" Then there was a brilliant, blinding flash of light and Ryo found himself blinking as his eyes struggled to adjust to the dim lighting of his new surroundings. When his vision cleared, Ryo found that he was holding Rowen's bloody body very tightly. "Rowen, talk to me, man!" he said, tears welling in his eyes. "Rowen! Don't you dare leave me!" Another of the new Ronins appeared out of the gloom and squatted next to the warriors of Wildfire and Strata. This one was the smallest of the bunch, decked in white and silver armor.

"Move, I need to heal him." It was not an offer, but a command. Ryo's eyes flicked towards him, but he remained where he was.

"Can I trust you?" he asked. The third new warrior came into his line of view. He was smaller than the black and orange armored one, but a bit taller than the white and silver armored one.

"Do you really have a choice?" Ryo's face fell as the blue and white warrior moved out of his view to give the white and silver warrior more room.

"Please…" he said, almost pleadingly, "Please, just help him." The white and silver warrior nodded and bent over Rowen's still form.

"Looks like you need some help too, tough guy." said a voice from behind him. The red warrior snapped his head around only to discover a sharp pain in his neck that seared white-hot as he did.

"Uhh…" with a groan, Ryo slid into unconscious bliss.

Ok guys, I've got more but that's all that I'm going to put into the first chapter. I'm testing the waters with this one... let me know if I'm on the right track, kay? Yes, you have met all of the new characters that I am going to introduce in this story. They just might not be exactly what you think they are... That's all for now! R&R!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own the Ronin Warriors or any of that jazz. Don't sue, I'm in college…

AN: It's been a LONG time since I updated this story. I got two reviews… yay… But I feel the need to get more of this story out there. Enjoy!

Introductions

Ryo moaned as he stirred from his 3-hour nap.

"Uhn… where am I?" he croaked, groggily. His neck was throbbing. "'M I dead?" Slowly, he pushed himself upright despite the protests of his battered body. The blue and silver warrior looked up from his seat nearby.

"Oh good, you're awake. Your friend was very worried about you."

"Rowen?" All drowsiness vanished. "Where is he? Is he ok?" The other warrior _giggled_. Ryo blinked, staring at him.

"One question at a time, hero! He's fine, don't worry. He only had a mild concussion. And he's currently outside… er… using the potty…"

"Oh…" Ryo let out a sigh of relief, noticing an itchy feeling around his neck as he shifted. "What the…?"

"You got your throat slashed open…" said the blue and silver Ronin quietly. "I still can't believe you didn't notice that."

"I… what? My throat was slashed?" Granted, his throat felt like it was on fire every time he so much as took a breath, but Ryo had assumed that he was just thirsty. A hand drifted up to feel the bandages wound about his neck; how had he missed that?

"Yes, but it wasn't too deep. Don't worry, you'll be singing in no time!" The little warrior giggled again; Ryo wished that he would stop doing that. He opened his mouth to say something, but the thought left his mind as the sound of footsteps heralded Rowen's return.

"Hey, Ryo, you're awake!" exclaimed the young man, a smile lighting his features. Despite the smile, Ryo felt his heart clench at the sight of the bandage wound about Rowen's head.

"Rowen…" The warrior of Wildfire rose and approached his friend cautiously, eyes the bandage anxiously. "Are you alright? You scared the crap outta me! What happened to you?" Rowen reached up and scratched at his bandage, chuckling.

"I, uh, I couldn't really tell you. I don't actually know myself." Ryo and Rowen both glanced back as the white and silver armored warrior interjected from behind Rowen.

"He took a bad hit to the head by a Dynasty soldier… And you!" He turned to Rowen, his eyes showing disapproval behind his facemask. "I thought I told you not to scratch at that bandage!" Rowen grinned sheepishly and took his hand away from his head.

"Sorry… I forgot…"

"Hey!" said Ryo, suddenly. "That reminds me! Whose side are you three on?"

"Whose side does it look like we're on, dumbass?" exclaimed the tallest of the three. He shoved away from the wall he had been leaning against, looking quite intimidating in his black and orange armor.

"Would Talpa's minions actually have saved you?" demanded the shortest Ronin. "Honestly!" His voice held an edge.

"You know, if there was some sort of plot, I think he would, yes!" retorted Ryo, temper flaring. "Besides, why else would you three be out here?"

"Look, we aid those who oppose Talpa, understand?" said the shortest warrior, sighing, all signs of anger gone. He sounded weary.

"So, in other words, we're on your side!" The leader giggled again, apparently unconcerned about the tension that was building within the confines of the little cave. He _always_ seemed to be giggling… Ryo hated it. It made him feel like the other warrior was laughing at him. Scowling, the warrior of Wildfire grabbed Rowen's elbow.

"Excuse us for a moment…" Dragging the warrior of Strata to a secluded corner of the cave, Ryo turned to him. "I don't trust them!" he hissed, jerking his head toward the others.

"I can see that," replied Rowen, calmly.

"You actually trust them, don't you?" snapped Ryo, staring at his friend in disbelief.

"Yup."

"Yup? _Yup?_ That's it? That's your answer?" Ryo threw up his hands, forgetting to keep his voice down

"Yup."

"You're crazy!" exploded the red warrior, positively shouting now. "Completely nuts! What honestly makes you think that we can trust these guys?" The dark blue warrior let out a snort, earning a glare from the already livid Ryo.

"Well, first off, man, keep your voice down. They're staring. And second…" he trailed off, covering his mouth to hide his smile.

"What?" demanded Ryo, scowling. "What's so damn funny? _What?_" Rowen held up a finger, indicating that he needed a moment to compose himself. Finally, he calmed himself enough to speak.

"Ryo, heh heh heh, I they're, ha ha, I think they're girls!" Ryo froze where he stood, his face blank with shock.

"Wh-what?" Rowne chuckled again.

"Well, sure! Didn't you notice how small they are and how high their voices are?"

"I… um…" Ryo fumbled over his words, unsure of what to say. He had never considered the possibility of _female_ Ronin Warriors.

"Dinner!" called the blue and silver warrior, brightly. He- no SHE- was stirring a pot of something that was giving off a mouth-watering aroma.

"Mmm! Smells great!" said Rowen, abandoning Ryo and heading back to the others. "Is this stew?"

"Yup!" replied the tallest warrior, reaching for it. "Is your friend ok?"

"Who, Ryo? I'm sure he's fine," said Rowen, dismissively. "I just don't think he realized you three were girls." Ryo cringed over in his corner, expecting an enraged outburst from the girls. It never came. Instead, he heard the leader burst out giggling again.

"Yeah, it is kinda hard to tell with our armor on, huh?" Her voice was still bright and cheery. "Are you going to eat with us?" With a jolt, Ryo realized that she was talking to him.

"Oh… sure, I guess…" Shaking off his shock, Ryo left the corner and headed over to the others. The leader offered him a bowl and moved aside to give him room to sit.

They all ate in silence for a while before Rowen made a realization; while he and Ryo had stripped down to their under-armor when they realized that the girls weren't a threat, the other three were still fully armored. Abruptly, he was slightly uneasy and more than slightly curious.

"So," he began, conversationally, "is there a reason you're still armored? I mean, we're all friends here, right?" Without pausing, the leader nodded.

"Yeah, we're all friends! We can be BEST friends!" She completely ignored Rowen's first question. He tried again, frowning slightly.

"So, do you, like, sleep in that armor?" The shortest shrugged, not looking up.

"Sometimes, why?" Rowen shrugged, his suspicions growing. Perhaps Ryo had been right not to trust these three… Of course, they had seemed alright to Rowen…

"Oh, no reason… It's just, you know, doesn't that armor get pretty heavy? And besides, no one can see what you look like if you hide behind a facemask all the time. Don't your friends wonder?"

"Our friends don't have to wonder," said the tallest warrior, curtly. "Obviously we don't walk around fully armored at home."

"Yeah," interjected the leader, "we just keep our facemasks up so the bad guys don't know what we look like!" Ryo and Rowen exchanged a look. Had she really just said 'bad guys'? After a moment, Ryo spoke.

"Are we the, uh, 'bad guys'?"

"No, silly!" The leader laughed again; Ryo was beginning to think of her as an idiot.

"Then why are you still hiding behind your armor?" The bite of annoyance was obvious in Ryo's voice. The leader pondered his question, cocking her head to one side in thought. It was, however the shortest warrior who finally answered.

"Very well, if it's that important to you, we'll remove our armor."

"Ooo! Ooo! Me first! Pleeeeease?" The blue and silver leader jumped up, and, after a sigh and gesture from the tallest warrior, quickly shed her armor.

Beneath the bulky armor was a lovely girl of about 15. The blue and silver under-armor hugged her small body, but even with its added bulk, it was obvious that she had a slight frame. She actually looked almost fragile; not at all as a warrior would typically look. Her hair was reddish-brown streaked through with seemingly natural reddish hi-lights, and wildly curly. It bounced cheerfully around her shoulders, framing her face nicely. Her large eyes were a rich chocolate brown; a black ring around the irises gave her an exotic look. Those eyes seemed to hold a sweet innocence unlike anything Ryo had ever seen before… he was intrigued. She was smiling cheerfully, shaking her head to and fro.

"Ah, that's better… that helmet always squishes my hair!" She looked over at Ryo, who was closest, and held out her hand, grinning. "My name's Aseku!" Cautiously, the warrior of Wildfire took her hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you…" Ryo found himself wondering what her virtue was. She was such an odd creature! Her eyes were… captivating, to say the least. And then she was gone. As quickly as Ryo had been entranced by her, he was released from the spell. He thought he felt the black and orange armored warrior's eyes on him, but when he turned to look at her, she was concentrating on her food. Aseku had turned to Rowen and was cheerfully shaking his hand. Judging by Rowen's expression, he, too, was experiencing the odd sensations. Aseku seemed to take no notice.

Then it was the shortest one's turn. Beneath her armor lay a short, stocky body; one much more suited, in Ryo's opinion, to a warrior. Long, frizzy blond hair was caught in a loose, messy ponytail atop the head, sticking up crazily in all different directions. Steely blue eyes peeked out from the mop of hair around her face, but they didn't seem to have the same odd qualities as Aseku's. The girl appeared to be somewhere around 18 or 19, and stood somewhere around 5'2". She smiled pleasantly at Ryo and Rowen.

"Hello, my name is Kiyaki." She, too, shook both men's hands. After those introductions were done, Ryo and Rowen turned expectantly to the last and tallest of the warriors. When she seemed in no hurry to shed armor, Ryo asked her about it.

"Are you… going to take off your armor as well?"

"I wasn't planning on it," she said, looking over at him.

"Oh… I just thought since Kiyaki sai you would…" Ryo trailed off, not quite sure what to make of this girl.

"Oh… very well." The girl sounded slightly exasperated. "If it's a big deal, I'll take it off…" And, with a sigh, she shed her armor.

Beneath it was a beautiful girl of about 16 or 17 with long, straight brown hair and large hazel eyes. She was tall and willowy, standing at a solid 5'7" with a slim, strong body. She was not as bulky as little Kiyaki, but she was certainly more substantial looking than tiny little Aseku. She has a calm, if slightly exasperated look on her face, but her voice and handshake were sincerely friendly. Like Kiyaki, her eyes seemed to hold no special power in them.

"My name is Sheyna. It's a pleasure meeting you." Ryo and Rowen offered the proper pleasantries and returned to their food, considerably more relaxed.

When the meal was finished, Aseku gathered all the dishes and headed out of the cave to wash them at a nearby stream. When she was gone, Sheyna sidled up next to Ryo.

"She confuses you, doesn't she?" Ryo jumped and looked back at the black and orange warrior. Her face was serious.

"I'm not sure what you mean… who confuses me?"

"Aseku," said Sheyna, looking at him closely. "She confuses you, doesn't she? It's her eyes, it's always her eyes…" Ryo wasn't sure what to say.

"I… uh… yeah…" Sheyna smiled almost sympathetically.

"Don't try to understand her, no one does. Kiyaki and I figure it must have something to do with her virtue, but we don't know what that is…"

"Slap-happiness?" suggested Ryo, chuckling, "Hyper-activity?" Sheyna's eyes narrowed.

"Don't make fun of her." Ryo's laughter ceased at once. 'Fool!' he chided himself, 'Don't insult their leader!'

"I'm sorry," he lowered his head contritely, "that was in poor taste… I apologize, it won't happen again." Sheyna nodded, but her hazel eyes still held some odd emotion in them.

"It's alright… I just tend to be a little overprotective. She's only 15…"

"Is she really" Ryo's voice held a note of admiration. "The youngest of my team is only 16… We all tend to worry about him sometimes…"

"Team?" asked Sheyna, "There are more of you?" Ryo flushed suddenly, feeling that he had said too much.

"I'm tired, I think I'm going to sleep."

"But you didn't answer my question," said Sheyna, frowning. "Ryo, if we're going to help you, you have to trust us. How many more of you are there?" The black-haired warrior hesitated, then sighed.

"Our three friends have been captured by Talpa… We're trying to rescue them…"

"I see…" said Sheyna, sensing, somehow, that Ryo needed to talk. She was right. Emotions broke forth in Ryo as though spilling through a dam.

"They're only kids, all three of them!" Water pooled in Ryo's eyes threatening to spill over. "Not one of them more than 19 years old… Why couldn't he have captured Rowen or me? We're adults, we could have handled it… but those three? They're just innocent kids…" His knees buckled suddenly and Ryo found himself leaning against a wall weakly.

"We'll get them out," said Sheyna, firmly, her voice full of determination. "He won't hurt them. He _won't_."

Suddenly, a shriek sounded from outside. Eyes widening, Sheyna raced towards the mouth of the cave and bolted out behind Kiyaki. Ryo followed on her heels. Standing outside, a short distance from the cave, was a tall, dark figure. Even at a distance, in the dim light, Ryo recognized the other warrior.

"Cale…" hissed Rowen, next to Ryo. He started to call up his armor, but Kiyaki stopped him.

"No," she said, pointing, "Look… he has Aseku." Sure enough, as Rowen and Ryo squinted in the failing light, they could make out Aseku's lithe form clutched tightly in Cale's arms. She didn't seem to be moving…

"Good evening, Ronin Warriors!" called Cale, mockingly. "How rude of you not to invite me to dinner! Perhaps you would like to join us for dinner instead? Your little friend has decided to come…" He laughed jeeringly and shook Aseku at them. Her body flailed limply and Sheyna had to be restrained. "And Halo, Torrent, and Hardrock are simply _dying_ to see you!" This time it was Ryo who had to be restrained.

"Easy, Ryo, easy buddy!" said Rowen, struggling to keep the other man from rushing Cale headfirst. "He's just shootin off his mouth, don't let him get to you. You know as well as I do that they wouldn't kill Sage, Cye, or Kento. He's just tryin to rile you up."

"Well he's done a damn good job!" spat Ryo, his teeth clenched. Cale's laughter floated towards them.

"What, not coming? That truly is a shame, but we really must be going. Goodbye Ronin Warriors, I'll be seeing you again soon!" He started to turn, but paused and looked back. "Oh yes, I'll give your regards to Halo, Torrent, and Hardrock!" And, laughing, he disappeared into the distance with Aseku. Ryo, Rowen, and Sheyna all shouted curses at his back, but words, sadly, cause no damage.

"We've got to go after him!" growled Sheyna, starting after Cale. "We can't just let him hurt Aseku!"

"I agree, time is of the essence," concurred Ryo, starting with her. "We act now!"

"Now hold on!" said Kiyaki, crossly. "We need a plan! We can't just charge right in there guns blazing!"

"She's right," agreed, Rowen, "Let's stop and think about this for a minute."

"No! Strike now, strike hard!" argued Ryo, frowning at his friend.

"But that's what they're counting on!" exclaimed Kiyaki. "We'd be walking into a trap!"

"Not necessarily!" objected Sheyna, "They could be planning on us doing exactly what we're doing right now!"

"They're not telepathic," said Rowen, frowning. "They don't know what we're thinking or anything."

"Which means we've still got the element of surprise!" said Ryo, shifting uneasily. "Let's go, c'mon!"

"Are you suggesting that 4 warriors try to sack the entire Dynasty?" asked Kiyaki, her voice flat. "We'd be captured in a matter of minutes, and THEN where would we be?"

"Then what do YOU propose we do?" snapped Sheyna, realizing too late that her voice held too sharp a tone. "I'm sorry…" she murmured, looking down. "I'm just… worried about her…"

"I know," said Kiyaki, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We're all stressed…"

"Maybe we should go inside," said Rowen, motioning towards the cave. "We can sit down and gather our thoughts, then determine our course of action." Nodding in agreement, the others followed him inside, beginning their discussion.

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Yeah, it was a lot longer, wasn't it? Haha, that's more like the normal length for my chapters, the other was only an introduction. I hope you liked it! And yes, there IS a reason Aseku's eyes made the guys feel strangely; I wasn't just favoring her for some odd reason. Let me know how you liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Once again, I do NOT own Ronin Warriors or anything relating to it. I do, however, own my characters (Aseku, Sheyna, and Kiyaki) and anything relating to them.

A/N: Ok, not as long of a wait between updates... Yay! Actually, I'll be honest, I have most of this story written up on notebook paper. It's just a matter of typing it lol. I'll get around to it when I have time... Until then... enjoy!

* * *

Aseku

Aseku groaned softly, her eyes fluttering open. She was… well… she wasn't quite sure _where_ she was, but it was dark and cold!

"Wake up, little Ronin…" came a low, smooth voice. "You're not dead yet… up you get…" Muscles tensing, the Warrior of Hailstorm pushed herself up from the cold ground she had been laying on. A smirking face loomed up from the darkness, followed by a tall, powerful body sheathed in grayish under-armor.

"Who… are you?" Aseku's tongue felt thick and heavy; her head was spinning.

"Cale…" said the man, kneeling to her eye level. "And you, little ice warrior, what is _your_ name?"

"Aseku," she said, groggily. "Where am I?"

"In Talpa's Dynasty," answered Cale, a hint of pride coloring his voice. "You are a prisoner of Lord Talpa and his faithful Warlords."

"But… I don't want to be a prisoner," protested Aseku, indignantly. "Can't you just let me go? Please?" Cale stared at her blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing. The child was _serious_!

"Let you go? Why in the world would we do that? No, no, little ice maiden, you're here to stay!" His laughter subsided and he grew serious once again. "Now tell me, child, how did a pretty little girl like you come to acquire a Ronin armor? Surely you would much rather be at home doing whatever it is girls you age like to do instead of fighting a war?"

"I… guess so…" said Aseku, uncertainly.

"Then why not give _me_ your Yoroi crystal?" offered Cale, his voice dripping with greed. "You could go home to your family and friends again and be done with this nasty fighting. In fact, you would never have to think about this war again!" Aseku looked up at him, eyes wide with wonder. Cale shifted, suddenly supremely uneasy as she stared at him.

"Really? I can go home?" Cale looked away as he nodded, unsure what it was about her that made him so very uneasy. "But… what about Sheyna and Kiyaki? What about Ryo and Rowen?"

"What about them?" muttered Cale, still refusing to look at the girl. "What do _they_ matter to you? You'll be safe and happy, isn't that what matters?" He chanced a quick glance and was relieved to find that the child was looking at the ground once again.

"No! They're my friends," exclaimed Aseku, frowning. "I can't just abandon them!"

"Hmph!" snorted Cale, rising in one fluid movement. He shoved Aseku roughly with the toe of his boot. "Stupid girl! You have no idea what you're doing!" Aseku yelped as her head struck the floor, a few tears trickling from her eyes. "You will join your 'friends' in captivity, then!" Lifting the tiny teen easily, Cale carried her from the room to a hallway with a single door set about halfway down it. A small bar of light at the bottom of the door indicated that a light was on within it. Cale opened the door with a slam and poked his head inside. Three teenage boys glared up at him, each in a different color of Ronin under-armor.

"Cale…" one of them hissed, narrowing his grey eyes, "what do _you_ want?"

"Manners, Hardrock," said Cale, smirking at him. "I came to bring you a new friend. Catch!" And he tossed Aseku into the room, watching with amusement as the boys scrambled to catch her. When she had landed safely in the arms of the light-blue and white warrior's arms, all three boys turned to scream at Cale only to find him already gone and the door locked, bolted, and sealed once more.

"What's the big idea?" exclaimed the boy holding Aseku. "She could've been hurt!"

"I think that was the point," said the green and white armored boy. "Who is she?"

"I dunno…" The boy holding Aseku looked down curiously at the girl in his arms. "Hey there, do you have a name?"

"Aseku…" said the girl, sniffling. "Wh-who are you?"

"Cye Mouri," replied the boy, his English accent thick. "That's Sage Date in the green, there, and Kento Rei-Faun in the orange over there." He looked her up and down, then set her on her feet. He was puzzled by her apparently Ronin under-armor. "You're not… a Ronin Warrior… are you?" She looked up at him, her wide eyes capturing his attention immediately.

"Yes, why?" asked Aseku, confused by his confusion. "Is that bad?"

"No, of course not!" said Sage, quickly. Aseku turned towards him, her intriguing eyes fixed upon his lavender pair. "We just didn't know that there were any Ronins besides ourselves and… the Warlords…" He trailed off, confused and captivated at the same time.

"Oh… Who are the Warlords?" Aseku's question took the three quite by surprise, snapping Sage out of his little trance.

"You don't… know?" asked Kento, staring at her.

"Nope," replied Aseku, turning to look at him instead. "Who are they?"

"Evil Ronin Warriors who work for Talpa," said Kento, looking down at her with wonder. Those eyes… they were so _weird_! "You _do _know who Talpa is, don't you?"

Cye punched his friend in the arm with a reproachful glare. "The man who threw you in here, Cale, was one of the Warlords."

"Oh…" Aseku frowned. "He was really mean to me! He threw me on the ground and everything!"

"Be thankful that's _all_ he did to you," said Sage, bitterly. "He could have done _much_ worse."

"Like what?" Aseku's suddenly hushed voice was timid and fearful, her astounding eyes wide and scared. Sage looked down at her, realizing for the first time how very young she was.

"Don't worry about it…" The nineteen year old shook his blond hair out of his eyes and leaned back against the wall, wishing fervently that he had a cigarette. No, scratch that, Sage wished he had a whole pack of cigarettes. He was so stressed right now…

"How old are you, Aseku?" She turned her attention back to Kento.

"Fifteen, how old are you?"

"Fifteen?! Geez, you're only a kid! Sage, can you believe this?" Sage cracked open an eye tiredly.

"Yeah, she looks about fifteen or so… That is pretty young, though."

"Pretty young?! My little cousin is about her age! The _little_ one!" Kento was pacing back and forth, gesturing emphatically with his hands. "She's still just a child!"

"Aw, pipe down, Kento. You're only eighteen yourself!" Cye had unexpectedly broken his silence, looking up from the corner he had settled in.

"Oh… sorry, Cye," said Kento, grinning apologetically. "But hey, even _you_'re older than her, right? Aren't you almost seventeen?"

"I'll be seventeen in a few months," said Cye, shrugging. "Why's her age so important anyway?" Kento shrugged, plopping down next to the Warrior of Torrent.

"I dunno,… It's just… She's a girl, and she's so _young_, and she's _so_ tiny!"

"She can hear you, y'know." Kento looked up and saw Aseku staring at Cye and himself. She had settled across the room once it had become clear that she was being ignored, and was now seated on the floor, her back resting against the wall. She looked so sad and lonely with her knees pulled up to her chest like that; Kento felt a pang of pity wrench through his chest.

"Aw… poor kid." He kept his voice soft so that it wouldn't carry. "She looks so lonely…"

"Well, she's locked in a room in her enemy's fortress with three guys she doesn't know. Can you blame her?" Cye was studying her closely, concerned. It didn't look like captivity was suiting Aseku very well at all.

Then, unexpectedly, Cye saw Sage push himself away from the wall he'd been leaning against and head towards Aseku. She looked up at him as he approached.

"Hey…" Sage smiled, sinking down next to her. "What's up?"

"Nothin," she replied, glumly. "I wanna go home…" she added, her voice barely above a whisper. Sage scooted closer, flashing her a smile that would have made most girls melt. When she returned the smile half-heartedly, he slipped an arm around her shoulders with a practiced ease.

"You'll get home, I promise."

"Really?"

"Really." Silence fell between the two for a moment. Then, "Mr. Date?" Sage flinched.

"Just Sage, please. Mr. Date is my father. I'm just plain old Sage."

"Oh, sorry…" Aseku looked down. "… Sage?"

"Yes?"

"What are they going to do to us?" Sage froze, caught off-guard by the question that had been posed so innocently. It sounded like nothing more than simple curiosity, and yet…

"I… don't know," he said finally, not entirely lying. "They're probably going to do a number of things to us…"

"Bad things?" Aseku's face radiated innocence and apprehension. Sage felt trapped. He didn't want to lie to her, but to tell the truth to a face like that…

"Yes, Aseku…" he whispered, finally. "Bad thing…"

"But… why?"

"I don't know why," said Sage, looking down. "I suppose they're just extremely sadistic…" A wave of utter loathing swept through him, and Sage's lavender eyes narrowed. Seeming to sense something, Aseku looked over at him curiously.

"Are you okay?"

"What?" Sage shook off the hatred and depression that had been bulding inside him. "Yes, I'm fine…"

"Do you miss your parents, too? " The question obviously wasn't intended to hurt Sage, but a pang went through his heart at the mention of his family. He hadn't spoken to them for quite some time; he didn't really have great relations with them. A fairly wealthy family, the Dates were in an elite social circle and constantly in the news. Sage had been taught very rigid discipline at an early age, and had been punished severely for even the slightest transgression.

"No, not really." Aseku's face went blank with shock.

"What? Why not?" Sage shrugged dismissively.

"We really don't get along very well. I haven't talked to them for the past 5 years or so." Aseku's eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"Why?! Nothing's more important than family, NOTHING! Don't you miss them?"

"I've already answered that question; my response has not changed." Sage's tone was harsh, annoyed. He did _not_ like to speak about his family. "And as for there being _nothing _more important than family, that is a matter of opinion. I happen to believe that saving the world is a tad more important than one's relatives!" Aseku shrank back from this newly revealed side of Sage. With a wide-eyed stare, she got up and moved across the room to huddle in the corner not occupied by Cye.

Sage felt horrible; Aseku looked close to tears!

"Aseku, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just a little stressed right now… Are you mad at me?" Silently, Aseku shook her head. Though concerned that she didn't say anything, Sage didn't push the topic, instead opting to give the girl space to calm down again. Best to just leave well enough alone.

Shooting a worried glance at Sage, Kento scooted over next to Aseku, plastering a wide grin on his boyish face. He was worried about the Warrior of Halo; it wasn't like him to snap like that. But there wasn't much he could do to help. He settled on helping the person he felt he had the best chance of comforting: Aseku.

"Hey, don't mind Sage," he said, patting Aseku's shoulder. "He's just a little bit grouchy right now." Aseku nodded.

"Did _I_ make him mad?"

"What? No, of course not!" Kento offered her another cheerful smile. "He probably just needs some tobacco. He gets real testy when he hasn't had a cigarette in a while."

"Smoking is bad for you." Kento shrugged, glancing over at Sage. The blond had his forearms resting on his knees and his head back against the wall. His visible eye was closed, so Kento assumed that he was resting.

"Ah, well. With Sage it's kind of a 'pick your poison' deal. If he didn't smoke, he'd drink, and if he didn't drink, he'd probably be doing something even worse. He's got some pretty big family problems."

"Why doesn't he like his family?" Aseku's voice was innocently curious again; not even a hint of underlying judgment.

"That's not really for me to say," said Kento, glancing over at his green armored friend once again. "And I'm not sure, anyway. He's never really liked talking about it, so we steer clear of the subject."

"Oh…" Aseku was silent for a minute. "How old is he?"

"Nineteen, I _think_," replied Kento. "He's older than me 'n Cye at any rate. I don't _think_ he's twenty yet…"

"Oh…" Aseku looked up at Kento, her expression thoughtful. "You don't really know him very well, do you?" Kento shook his head, carefully avoiding full eye contact. He couldn't seem to keep his thoughts straight when he looked her in the eye…

"Nah, not really. I mean, we're friends and all, and I'd gladly give my life for him, but we've never really clicked."

"Oh…" Silence again. "Hey Kento?"

"Yeah?"

"Why's Talpa want to take over the world?" Kento blinked, shocked by her abrupt change of subject. Aseku's mind, he decided, must be a very strange place… Nonetheless, he gave his answer some thought before speaking. He wasn't sure exactly what he wanted her to say; there was no appropriate answer as far as he was concerned.

"I dunno, I guess it's a power-hungry thing…"

"Oh…" Silence. "Hey Kento?"

"Now what?" He prepared for another hard question.

"Where's the bathroom?" There was that mind at work again… Kento had to stop himself from laughing.

"It's right over there, but be warned, the toilet paper is low-quality!" He grinned, pointing to a toilet on the other side of the room with collapsible screens surrounding it.

"But… there's not sink," said Aseku, looking around. "Where do I wash my hands?"

"You… don't?" said Kento, hesitantly. What was it about girls and hygiene?

"Ew! That's icky!" squealed Aseku. "I can't just use the bathroom and not wash my hands!"

"Sorry," said Kento," but you're going to have to. Next time a Warlord shows his ugly face, we can ask for something to wash with." Aseku sighed, glancing towards the door.

"Will they be back soon? I kinda need to go…"

"Trust me, you don't want them coming back anytime soon," replied Kento, quickly.

"Aw, Hardrock, you don't like us?" Kento spun to see Dais standing in the doorway. "That hurts. And I was hoping we could be friends!"

"Hey!" said Aseku, hopping up and approaching Dais. "Are you one of those Warlord guys?" The Warlord smirked as she came to a halt before him; she barely reached his chest!

"You must be our newest little captive. My, Cale wasn't exaggerating about how small you are!"

"I'm not small!" protested Aseku, frowning. "You're just really big!" Dais broke into laughter, taking a few minutes before he calmed down again.

"That's cute, girl, very cute." He wiped a few tears from his eyes as his laughter subsided. "perhaps Lord Talpa will let us keep you as a pet or something. You certainly don't pose much of a threat."

"Yeah-huh!" Aseku was frowning; she didn't like being called little and weak. "I do so pose a threat!"

"Child," said Dais, chuckling again, "you pose no more threat than a puppy."

"Do so!" Aseku was indignant now, glaring at the towering man in front of her with her arms crossed stubbornly. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Dais was overcome with a strange sensation; Aseku's gaze just felt… off. He tore his eyes from her angrily.

"You're wearing my patience thin, Hailstorm!" growled Dais, the grin sliding from his face in the blink of an eye. "You will show me respect or I will _teach_ you to show it!"

"Hey! Leave her alone, Dais!" Cye was up and heading towards Aseku and Dais.

"Oh, so Torrent finally speaks!" Dais' attention switched to Cye. "What brought about _this_ change?"

"Leave her alone," Cye growled again. "She's not here for you to make fun of."

"On the contrary, Torrrent," replied Dais, smirking. "She's here for me to do whatever I like with."

"What's that supposed to mean?" spat Cye, fists clenching.

"What do you think it means?" challenged Dais, glancing back at Aseku. His eyes ran the length of her body once and his smirk grew a bit wider. Anger dropped from Cye's face, replaced by a stunned look. Without meaning to, he took a step back, then another, staring at Dais blankly.

"You- you wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't what, Torrent?" The two men stared at one another for a moment, Cye's horrified gaze locked with Dais' cocky stare.

But both men were pulled from their staring contest as Aseku interjected.

"Hey, Dais, or whatever your name is! How am I supposed to wash my hands without a sink?" Dais' attention shifted back to the Warrior of Hailstorm.

"Why in the world would you possibly need to wash your hands?"

"Because you're _always_ supposed to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom, duh!" Aseku's tone made it plain that she expected everyone to know that.

"Well there is no sink in this room. I'm afraid you're going to have to live without your luxuries," said Dais, frowning down at her. Again, their eyes met and he was overcome with that same unfamiliar sensation. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen a look quite like hers… at least not any time recently.

"No way! Besides, it's not a luxury, it's a necessity!"

"Aseku, don't push it," muttered Cye, his eyes fixed on the slowly angering Warlord.

"I need a sink, though!" protested Aseku, brows knitting angrily. Her sulky expression reminded Cye of a child.

"I'm sick of your complaints, girl!" Dais' voice held a tone of barely suppressed anger; his hands were clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"But-" Everything seemed to happen at once. Dais struck out with his fist just as Cye moved in front of Aseku. There was a sharp cracking sound as Dais' fist connected solidly with the under-armor protecting Cye's chest. With a grunt, Cye was thrown backwards, taking Aseku down with him as he fell. Dais looked down at the boy, then delivered a sharp kick to his ribs.

"That'll teach you not to interfere when I'm punishing someone, Torrent. Be grateful Lord Talpa wishes you alive, because I'd have gladly finished the job." With that, he turned and left the room without a backward glance.

* * *

Well? Did you like it? Is Aseku annoying as hell? Of course she is, but there is a reason! She is NOT a Mary-Sue, I promise! She is more like a unique character who seems to masquerade as a Mary-Sue... Yeah... If that made sense you're on something. Review!

Aseku


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